Occupy Detroit Gets Union Support

DETROIT (WWJ) – Carrying signs and wearing stickers that said 99%, a few hundred union members marched in support of Occupy Detroit Sunday.

Among them, Congressman Gary Peters, who told WWJ’s Beth Fisher that he supported reigning in the speculation on Wall Street.

“It’s speculation on Wall Street that we’re still paying the price for here, particularly in Detroit that almost brought the auto industry to a collapse because of what we saw on Wall Street. So we put in restrictions, or put in regulations necessary to reign that in, and right now in Washington I’m facing a Republican majority that wants to undo that,” said Peters.

Peters says Wall Street should help raise money to help put people back to work, not ensure that the very few get very rich.

UAW member James Jurasek says the system is broken when people are still losing their homes to foreclosure, and the top one percent earn millions of dollars.

“There’s got to be some kind of balance of shift of power back to people. If the people don’t have the power … if we don’t keep this movement going, we’re never going to get the leadership and the top 1 percent to listen,” said Jurasek.

UAW member Robert Wiener says they are supporting the middle class: “We’re fighting for fair taxation for equal rights and to make a life better for our workers, people that are putting forth an honest living and should be making honest wages and being able to support themselves — it shouldn’t be working poor,” said Wiener.

UAW member Mariam Pickens says that people need jobs in this country.

“For the first time in a long time, people are standing together and coming out and demanding the things that we need,” said Pickens.

Pickens says the Occupy movement has already made a difference – changing the national conversation.

It has always been fascinating to me to learn about what’s going on in the world and there’s always a lot going on in Metro Detroit! Whether it’s business, politics, sports, or stories about life, I love meeting people and telling their stor...